Went to this refuge on Thanksgiving day and there was no charge! Once we had toured the refuge we would have happily have paid many dollars for the privelege. It was wonderful. Its a 5 mile drive on a well surfaced road with heaps of stopping places overlooking lakes and streams. Just keep your eyes open and you will be... more

I was there last November, and am going back this November. We bicycled through the refuge. I thought the visitor's center was well-done, and you see what you see as you go through the park. Had done it in a car a few years earlier, and it's much better on a bike -- you see more, are closer to nature. more

We opted to pay the $5 and do the four mile drive through. Glad we didn't take the more expensive guided tour for $13 each. We did not even see an alligator or racoon as others have mentioned. Just a few birds. At the pullover areas there are signs which virtually all repeat the same thing. We found it boring... more

This is a nature reserve. There are no penned animals in cages. You drive and look for wildlife and flora. We stopped and read the info boards along the way. We climbed the steps at the observation platform. We saw lots of birds, fish, and an alligator! Well worth the money! more

We have been here many times and have never been disappointed. What you see depends very much on the time of day; early morning or late afternoon is best. We have seen racoons, alligators and many varieties of birds. On one memorable occasion we saw a bobcat! For $5 it is good value but I suppose for anyone brought up... more

It was SOOOO hot, we took a beach break and took our 3 school aged kids on the $5 car ride. If you know what Sanibel/Captiva Rd drive is like? Well, 4 miles of pretty much the same, but with swamp areas in between. It must have been high tide. We saw three jumping fish, a few hawks and a... more

My husband and I were there in May '09. We didn't see it on our last trip, but wanted to include it this time. We started off in the Visitor's Center, and learned about the history, environment, flora and fauna of the island, as well as the history of the wonderful man who worked so hard to preserve this part... more

I went to the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge twice in the past year.....once was last November and the other was this past May. In November I saw tons of birds; roseate spoonbills, herons, egrets, etc., racoons and alligators just sunning themselves on the side of the road. However, in May I saw one bird and one racoon. Perhaps... more

Obviously the park needs to collect a fee to preserve natural areas, etc. but there is virtually nothing to see here. You drive in your car down a gravelly road and you can stop at a couple of small look outs that show you the mangroves and canals. Ok, you see a couple of birds, but there is really nothing... more